Mining-machine.



H.,A. KUHN @L w. w. MACFARHEN.

MINING MACHINE. vAPPLICATION FILED APR. I3. |909.

HEEI' I.

wlTNessE's.

H. A. KUHNL W; W` MACFARREN '.Mmm MACHINE APPLICATION FILED APR I3 |909 Patented July 31% 2 suma-sun 2 WITNESSES.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

HARRY A. KUHN AND-WALTER W. MAGFABREN, 0F PITTSBURGH, `PENE'SYl'lANIA; SAID MACFARREN ASSIGNOH T0 SAID KUHN.

MININGeMACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 31, 11917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that we, Hanny A... KUHN and Wiiilriiu W'. MACrAiiiiEN, citizens oi' the United Stziles, residing at Pittsburgh, ,in the county of Allegheny and State of .lennsyb vanizi, have invented certain new and use ful"liiiprovenients in Mii'iing-lv'lachines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class ot' inin ing machines in which reciprocating picks or unchei's are the cutting elcinen ts.

" `he objects of our invention are, to prof vide a niiirliiiie which is adapted to mine the entire thickness of a coal seein without the use of explosives; one which is adapted to move forward. continuously while cutting u narrow oii'try or room; to provide a ina-Y chine wliich conveys the coal cut by itself to a convenient position for loading the saine for transportation out of the mine; and

.other improvements wb ich will be more fully hereinafter set forth. Y

The specific object of our invention is to provide a machine adapted to mine coal for poking; for which purpose it is immaterial to what size ing operation, maximum pieces does limit. To these ends, prises the various constructions and so long as the sire of the not exceed 'a certain our invention coinar- 4rangements of parts about to be described.

` Referring to the drawings? Figure 1 is a lan view of our improved machine, show 'ing .the same in working position vin a horizontal section through an entry or rocin.

Fig. 2-iis'a verticalsection'through the coal scam, showing aside elevation of the mam chine. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of.' the mechanisms for oscilloting thepunchers,

through one of theeu'ts made by the punchs ers', showin'1r the relation of the cutting point in l ci le from theordinary puncher 'mac ine;i

w other provided `same are successively sh 'ng device.

Our machine'isuenti and the 'we i 1y' different in. rin

witha single or multiple gick, the operation of which consists in ringing the pick point'fsuccessivelyto all c'oalto be' ci'lt, so that-the uttered; ln our ma chine, howevenonly a mall portion of the `coal 'is actuall cut b tn'e'cutting points, it being .serrato into umps5 whic are ythen portions of the the coul is reduced by the inirv' right side.

plane.

showingthe same in 4 is a vertical section 1- 'has secured to its j rear end P. bracket orl- .m

horiziitulelf" 'i ries 'of punchers are'connected b broken od lov si. blow delivered at nn angle to the direction of cutting.

In this wey, much less power is required, as inuch less coal is actually cut and the -cozil is generally more uniform in size. A

further point of advantage consists in the The machine consists of a strong frainel,

preferably formed of structuralsteel. The frame l is mounted upon four supporting4 wheels, the front wheels being desi n'ated by the numeral 25 and the rear wheels y the numeral 3. i

At the forward end of the machine there is mounted a pair of horizontal disks or saws 4, for undercutting. Adjacent to the saws 4 there is placed a pair of conveyers 5, for removing the coal. ward end of the ironie l., and above the saws 4, there are three series of horizontally oscillating pneumatic embers, the lower series being designate by the` numeral 6, the middle series b lower Series by t e numeral 8. The individual piinehers in each series are designated by siibmseri ts af b, and c reading from the le t side-of the machine 'toward the 6,.; 6h, aiid 6c are each pivoted about a vertical pivot, so. es to swing ina horizontal The outer punchers 6; and 6c are pivoted by `the pins 10. The center punoher 6., is ivoted by the pin 11 to'i'he bracket 152.4 T e brackets 10 and-12 are secured to the frame'- f The unchers similar yinounte'd.y

13. Thebrackets IBJO each the lilik 14, the oscillation of. fthd punehers is su lied b aucccentric 15,-10 erating-a rod ,`whic is connected b titlepin 17 to im end of the levers 18." The evers 18 are pimited by thelod pins `19 to the i frame Pins 20 connect' leversv 18 with linksQL, i which in turn are connected 'to the bracket 13 upon one of thc punchers. The eccentric Secured to the for- 475 the numeral 7, and the 3d' Thelower series of punchers, 35

9 to'the overhangingbrackets 90U 'i so as to oscillete together. mier felifi t ,-,r

,upper two series -'of 100;'

15 operates the two upper series of punchers, and a second eccentric 22 is provided to sinn lerly operate the lower series of. punchers.

The eccentric 15 Vis mounted upon e shaft 1 28, which may be supported in suitable been ings secured to the frame 1. The shaft 23 forms the crank shaft of a. smell two-cylinder compressed air motor 25, which latter is secured to the frame 1.

A s rocket 26 is mounted upon the shaft 23, adjacent to the motor 25, und drives,`by means of c chain 27, a similar sprocket upon the shaft 28. -The shaft 23 carries the eccentric 22.

The compressed air motor is of the twocylinder double-acting type, with cranks et 90, 'and mev be run at a variable speed in either direction, so that by ineens of e throt tle 'valve and reversing lever, the operator may have full controll over the oscillation of the three series of punchers. A compressed air motor 2E) of similar type is provided todrive the saws 4 und the con Veyers 5 as follows :---The motor hns u crank shaft 30 extended at both ends into the bearings 31 secured to the Emme l. Mounted upon the shaft 3() at euch side of the motor 29, there is a. worin 32, these worms being ofthe opposite hand :is shown. The worms 32 mesh with and drive worin gears 33 upon the vertical shafts 34, these lutter being supported in suitable bearings secured to the frame 1.

S rockets 35 are also mounted upon the sha {ZS-34, Ywhich sprockets drive chains 3G, each of which engages und drives u sprocket 37 upon the vertical saw shafts 38, which latter ere supported in bearings 39 extended 4from the front end of. the frame 1.

At the extreme lower Vends of shafts 34, conveyer Sprockets 40 are-provided to drive the conveyer chains 41. A puir of idler -Sproclizets 42 is provided :it the rear of the machine for the conveyers 5. `45- The conveyer chains 41 are provided with flights- 43, which carry 'the coul from the front of-the machine and deliver the sinne to a. chute 44,.fiom which it maybe handled either directly into curs, or by other mecha- The coal hrolenidown byv the punchers felis upon the `saws '4, from which it is thrown -oif upon the conveyer plate 45.

Flights 43. of v the conveyers -5 slide on the |v4 plate 45 and scrape the coal toward the rem' of the machine.

' be supplied. to drivenll the ,otions of the machine from an electric mo- ,tor .46,A or compressed air .may be led into y 'fthf'mine from an outside power plantjend lthiel'nnchine driven directly by the nir withont the use of. electricity. i Th'e' armature shaft 47 of the motor 46 I nountedthereon -a Isprocket 48 driving Qhin 49, which turn d rives c sprockety 50,

mounted upon the crunk shaft 51 ot' the air compressor 52. The air compressor 52 is shown as being of the four-cylinder vertical type, although any other style of compressor muy be used.

Reservoirs are provided for the reception of? the air from the compressor 52, from which it may he lea-d to the various motors and. punchers. The pipe connections und vulves for this purpose being well Linden stood, they have not been illustrated, es tending merely to confuse the drawings.

The .Your truck wheels are mounted upon unexle 54 extending clear across the inuchine and supported in the bearings 55 secured to the .frame -vl. At the center of the axle 54 is mounted the geer- 56. The` gen 5G is driven by a geur 57 mounted upon the crank shaft of the two-cylinder air motor 58, this letter beingr secured to the frame 1.

lhe motor is of the double-acting reversingtype, und muy be run et sny ,lesired speed und in cit ci.' direction. ljowei applied hy the inotoi 58 through the goers 56 and 57 to the uxle 5l, und thence to the wheels 3, which ere secured to thc axle The axle 54 is extended through the wheels 3 to carry the sprockets 59. The sprockets uctualte the chains 60, which in turn drive the sprockets 61, which lutter ere secured to the front truck wheels 2. By this connection with the rear axle 54, the front wheels 2 are simultaneously driven.

The conveyer plate is secured :it its forward end to the frame l, und supported at its rear end by e. pair of carrying wheels {32, ni'ounted upon un, axle 63, which isc-.11'-

ried by the brecket'f secured to the plete 45. The conveyer plete 45 extends horiz/.on-

les

as shown in Fig. 2, in order to secure e sulii-v i cientelevetion of the coal for the 'seme to be discharged by gravity from the chute 44. The punchers 6, 7, and 8 ere sill duplicates und vof ordinary construction such as ure used for coal mining und stone channeling.

The piston rods 65 are provided with u' tapered or yshouldered forward end adapted toreceive e U-shaped cutting yoke 66,`which" may be secured to the piston rod 65 by nut-' 67. The cutting yoke G6 isprovided with u pair of chisel-slniped cuttingl points 68 ctits forward extremity. Near the rcur of the yoke G6, there is formed e pair of wedgeshapcd projections 69.

In Fig. 4, we have illustrated this construction on an enlarged scale. As the chisel points 68 nrc udvn'nced into the coal, they cut :1. pair of'slots 70. After these slots `7O have reached a. ccrtaindepth, e wedgeshaped projection. G9 will strike the rear end 'of the lump 71 between the slots 70, and the snflicient to break oli the lump and sever :it p

from the native coal bed, after which it will fall on the saws t and be. discliarged from `them to the conveyer plate 45.

The st'roln'a of the punchers will be considerably lese than the depth oi the slots 70, so` that when the lump 71 is severed from the native coal by the wedgeehaped pro]ections (it), it may he i'or an instant on the lovver fork of the yoke 66. However, as the punt-.here are being continuously oscillatcd,

in a short time they will have moved side Wise a sniuiznmt d, tence to release the sevf eredlumps, which may then fall liieif'orc descr-1i .,ied.

The Iiieeuliar arrtmgement oi: the three se riesci' [iumchers shown plainly 1n Fig. 2.

i The machine, as a whole, acts to cnt n series of slots 1n the coal, the lower ones in advance of the 'upper ones, so that breaking polntfle pig-ovnled for each lump.

The saws 4 are first advanced under the i whole body of coal; punehers 6 then ope' 'ate to cut a pair of slots above the slot cut by' the saws 4 and tothe rear of the forward ex tremity of the saws 4L; thel 'punchers 7 then operate to cnt a second` pair of slots above the` slots cut by the punchersand to the rearthereof; and in a similar manner the punchers 8 are adapted to cut a third series of slots above the slots madeby-pnnehers 'i' and `to the rear thereof,

` 1t will thus be seen that as the wedge' `shaped projections on any of the cutting yokes 66 strike a proiecting lump, clearance will have been provided for `that lump to break and fall from its original position.

It Will be observed that, by connecting each :cries of punchers by the'links 14, the

cutting points in each are always Simultaneously swung in the same direction, that there can be no interference between them. However, for the better balancing of themachine, one series of pnnchers 4is swung in. a direction contrary to that of the other two series.

From the above description, the operation of our improved machine will be readily understood. 'The machine is brought to `the desired place of working and connected with uthe source of power, as, in the present `inmotor29 is started to operate the saws and conveyers; and, lastly, the motor'i 'is startn ed to give a slow forward feed to the Whole mechanism after the several parts as `above described are `in operation, andlthe machine may be continuously advanced into the coal.

It Agill be noted that als the motor 58 is of the two-cylinder reversing type, with cranks at 90 similar to the driving gear ot u, locomotive, it will propel the machine at practically any` speed, so long as the size of the cylinders and the air pressure together will produce a torque sufficient to propel the machine.

Itv will also be Anoted that as the air sur plied to motor 5S an elastic Huid, this means of propulsion produces an, elastic feed of the machine into the coal. The resistance offered by the weight of the machine and the friction of the truck wheels will be practically constant, and the resistance of-` fered by the nndercutting saws will be in proportion to the hardness of the nmterial` being cnt. Y

The punchers will oifer practically no `.r- Sistance to the radvance of the machine long as they are working freely,.so that by properly proportionilig the size of the motor 58 to the Work of advancing the machine against its resistance to traction and the riti sistance offered by the saws 4., or by the use of a graduated reducing valvebetweon reservoirs 53 and motor- 58, by which the required pressnreon motor 58 may be experinjientally determined, it will be possible to advance the machine elasticully in proportion tothe resistance encountered.

The same elastic action will be l'iroduce'd by the motorQS) with reference to the saws and conveyers, so that should` material of nnusual hardness be cnt by the saws, or 'an unusual load carried by the conveyer,y the motor 29 will `automatically slow down to relieve the strainscaueed by these excessy loads. Y

The above features are very important from an operatin v standpoint, as being conducive to long lifii ofthe parts affected.

Owing to the fact that the air required by the punchers yand motors iscompressed almost immediately before use, the reser-l voirs 53 being merely provided to absorbthe fluctuations "of` the several mechanisms, it will be :mparentthat the efiiciency of the' con'u'n'essed air system will be much higher by reason of the air being used hot,v thus utilizing' the heat of comln'cssion, th'an,..if`the 115- au' were compressed in a statlonarypower plant outside the mine and l,led therein through a long line of ipipepm which it would cool to mine temp erature.k

i Many variations in design and construe-"120 tion maybe made by those skilledin the arts of building and operating 'such machines Without' departing 'from the spirit of our in,- vention, and we therefore desire vto claim and hold as ours all pateptablc subject mat/ter 126 i covcred'by the following claims :1-5' i 1.' Tu a mining machine, a frame, an undercutting devicc'-lno11l1ted-tliereoll, and a plurality` of reieiplocating pnnolmljs. mounted abovenaid nglercrutting'vdevice in differ`A 130 ent horizontal planes, each of aan being mounted on an. individu: pivot rigidly eecnred to naif iframe, means for simultaneously oecillating pnnchers at different levels in oppoeite di" rections,

2. In a mining nmchine, a frame, a pair olf nndercntting sans mounted thereon in a horizontal plane, and rnniii in opposite directions, and plurality' ci pnnchere arrangcf above each ici sa e different iiori l plat e, each. princner having an individi al vertical. pivot secured. to said i'ian'ze.

L In a mining machine, a frame, a pair of under-cutting mono ed thereon in a hori'fontal plane and rnnnz v in opposite directicYrL-, and a plnralitj; of if-ries of horizontall'wlf swinging pnnchere .in diierent hori zontal planes above said saws.

1. In a mining machine, a Series of pivoted pnnchers at one level and a second of pivoted punchers at a higher level and behind the first,

5. In a mining machine, a series of pivoted .pnnchcrs at one level, a second series ofipiv oted unohers at a higher level, and behind the rst series, a, third series of pivoted pnnchere at a still higher level and. behind the second series.

6. In a mining machine, a frame, an nnY dercutting device mounted thereon, and three individually pivoted pane-hers mounted above said nndercntting device and vertically en chelon. Y

7 In a mining machine, t series oi hori4 zontailly swinging reciprocating pnnchere mounted one above the other, a motor, a connection from said motor to swing the upper series of. panchers in one direction and a connection from the motor to sivilig the lower series in opposed relation to the upper series. l

8. ln a mining machine, frame, an nndercutt' gdevice mounted thereon, a series' of ho rizontally swinging reciprocating pnnchers above said undercntting device and connected nach to another for simnL taneons oscillation, a second series oit hori- Zonta ly swinging panche-rs above said first serien, said second Series being also connect ed for simultaneous horizontal a motor, and mechanisni connecting Said :inoY tor and all of ysaid punchere to .caving the latter in Simultaneous parallel relation.

9. In a mining machine, an oscillating i nincheix l rei-tic f atioina Wedge carried by the moving member of said pnncher adapted to dislodge the coal at the eide of said groove, when said groove has reached a certain depth.

ll. ln a mining machine, a series o 'f oscillating pnncliers adapted to cnt a common groove and a dishnlging device carried by' each ot the moving elements oi' said punchere to impinge upon the coal at the side of said groove when said groove has reached a certain depth.

l2. ln a mining machine, a frame, a plurality of reciprocating punchers thereon aranged to cnt horizontal slots in thc coal, a pair oi nmlcrontting saws below said punchers, haring their adjacent edges rotating toward said frame, and a pair of conveyers having cantalivcr flights, adjacent ights in the two conveyere moving in the same direction as the adjacentx cdgesof said undercntting saws.

13. ln a mining machine,a frame, a unit reciprocating' member adapted to make acrevice like opening in the coal, said member carrying a projecting surface arranged to force the coal adjacent to the opening to one Side as the unit member advances, said projecting `surface having a sharp shoulder adapted to catch vand draw the coal on the backward stroke of'said member when said member has advanced in the coal a certain distance.

lei. ln a mining machine, a frame, a reciprocating member supported on said frame, means carried by said reciprocating member to make a` korf-like opening in the coal, a wedge-shaped projection carried by said reciprocatory,member to press on the coal at the eide of the opening as said member advances, a sharp shoulder on said projection adapted to engagethe coal on the backward stroke of. said member, means to move the member sidewise.

HARRY- A. KUHN. WALTER W. MACFARREN.

Witneascs Eemian M. JOHNSON, Cime. LoX'rnRMAN, 

